We talk about pressure at the table, paying college students to learn bridge, and how the game turned her younger brother Finn Kolesnik into a close friend. We also get into playing with your spouse, family trips built around the European championships and why her family gave up cooperative games.
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Key Highlights
⏱ One IMP, After a Penalty: Seven minutes over cost seven imps, so a win by eight became a win by one.
🧠 Bridge is Grinding: Adam has helped Emma work hard on every deal.
🎓 Paid to Learn Bridge: With Mitch Dunitz, she paid college friends to come to four lessons.
👫 How Finn Came Around: He refused to play until he learned Emma was being paid to go to the youth NABCs.
🎲 Ticket to Ride: The team name came from a board game, and her family learned cooperative games only start blame games.
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Resources & Next Steps
🏆 2026 World Bridge Series results: https://db.worldbridge.org/Repository/tourn/katowice.26/microsite/results.htm
📸 The Setting Trick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesettingtrick/
🎧 Subscribe to The Setting Trick on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-setting-trick-conversations-with-world-class/id1345780835
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YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:00 Cold open
00:52 Welcoming Emma Kolesnik
01:47 A quarterfinal won by one imp
03:39 The seven imp time penalty
05:21 Checking scores on the tablet
07:18 Facing Klukowski and Zmuda
09:03 Pressure, and the grind
10:30 Seven spades doubled
11:44 The last board, two notrump
15:11 Bridesmaids who don't play
15:53 Paying students to learn
19:25 Did she cry? Finn's Soloway
21:32 A final against Zach Grossack
22:45 A comedy of errors
25:09 Rooting in the semifinal
26:56 Six years apart, bridge friends
28:31 Why Finn finally played
30:50 Adam asks Finn's permission
33:20 Playing with your spouse
36:14 Turning down a pro offer
38:23 Tablets, screens, the ACBL
41:56 Roy, Sabine and golf
43:06 Watching the Bermuda Bowl
48:09 Watching family on ViewGraph
49:57 Tromsø and family trips
52:56 How many countries
55:50 Museums on bridge trips
57:22 Why Ticket to Ride
60:56 No more cooperative games
63:10 Nationals with her dad
65:36 A yoga retreat instead
68:16 Boards that stick with you
73:01 The round of 16 ruff
76:06 When she plays next